How can 2026 be around the corner already? It feels like just a moment ago that we were welcoming the new year with rumors of the then-upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 and reactions to the recently released OnePlus 13.
And though mobile hardware has continued to evolve as the year has pushed on, with silicon carbon batteries getting a better foothold and the best camera phones getting closer than ever to point-and-shoot quality, sometimes our usage habits are slower to adapt.
As I write this, I realize that the way I actually use my phone hasn’t changed all that much in the past 12 months. Don’t get me wrong, I still love putting all the best phones to the test and diving into the settings for our in-depth phone reviews, but in my own time, I’ve been keeping things pretty simple.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but if I’m going to walk around with a $1,000 personal computer more powerful than the machines that landed a man on the moon in my pocket, I feel a responsibility to make the most of it.
So, without further ado, here are my five mobile New Year’s resolutions for 2026.
Take better photos, and more of them
My current daily driver is the Oppo Find X9 Pro, which is a bit of an underdog choice, given that it’s unavailable in the US, but also in that it offers some incredibly high-end camera tech for its £1,099 price point.
But with that said, most of the phones I’ve tested this year have offered pretty impressive camera systems, and it’s now possible to get triple-camera systems with dedicated zoom lenses in the mid-range of the phone market (the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and Nothing Phone 3a Pro being two examples).
However, I really don’t find myself reaching for my phone camera on instinct. What started as a measure to be more present has now left me with some pretty big gaps in my photo library – and it also just seems a shame not to give my Oppo’s 50MP main and 200MP telephoto cameras some more room to stretch their proverbial legs.
So, in 2026, I’m making a mission of taking more photos with whichever phone I happen to be using, and I’m going to make an effort to take some properly decent snaps. I like the idea of the Google Pixel 10’s Camera Coach AI feature for this – here’s hoping a subtler version comes to a wider range of Android phones in the new year.
Step up my accessory game
On a similar note, in 2025, I’ve been keeping things pretty minimal when it comes to phone accessories. I started using a phone case for the first time in years in October, but otherwise, I tend to use a phone as they come out of the box.
I do this because I think it’s important to get the measure of how a phone works and feels to use on its own, with no outside assistance from mounts, grips, or other add-ons; but I’m also aware that there’s a whole world of accessories out there that could open doors to new ways of using my phone.
For example, it stands to reason that I might take a few more serious mobile photos with a couple of gimbals, tripods, and lens extenders in my backpack – in fact, I loved using the Oppo Find X9 Pro’s 10x teleconverter attachment earlier this year.
And when it comes to mobile gaming, I’ve recently been testing the Razer Kishi V3 Pro, which has woken me up to the possibilities that controllers can bring to the table (more on my gaming habits in just a second).
Get really into customization
In a 2021 episode of Waveform, the MKBHD podcast, host Marques Brownlee summed up the effect software aesthetics can have on our daily outlook: “Change your wallpaper, change your life.”
While Brownlee was exaggerating for effect, there is a kernel of truth in this tech-tinged proverb – we spend a lot of time looking at our phones, so even the things we see in the background will have a lot of effect on our state of mind.
And yet, at the time of writing, I’m running a default wallpaper on my Oppo Find X9 Pro. That’s despite almost every phone – Apple and Android alike – offering deep lock and home screen customization options.
In 2026, I’m going to switch things up – get weird with the options on offer, change the color palette completely, and maybe even put something meaningful behind my walls of apps. I might even venture into skins for the keyboard and other UI elements; all within the bounds of good taste, of course.
Play more mobile games
Part of my remit as TechRadar’s Mobile Computing Staff Writer is to keep an eye on the best gaming phones and best mobile games – but, as in any high-stakes role, there’s always more to do.
In truth, my gaming activity has been pretty console-heavy for the last couple of months, mostly because of Battlefield 6 – but with mobile chipsets reaching impressive new heights every year, current flagship phones can and do offer actual console-grade experiences.
Recently, I’ve been playing games like Call of Duty: Mobile and the new Netflix version of Red Dead Redemption on my phone, which has got me itching to try out some other top titles.
I’m keen to finally get stuck into the selection of console ports on iOS this year – we’re talking Death Stranding, Resident Evil 4, and Sniper Elite 3 (a personal favorite), among others.
And as for Android, I’ll be making the most of the Epic Games Store’s availability by claiming a few Victory Royales on Fortnite, which I downloaded for the recent Simpsons crossover. Who said New Year’s resolutions can’t be fun?
Make more video calls
Remember the launch of FaceTime? Apple’s video calling feature, which appeared in 2010 alongside the iPhone 4, revolutionized the format so much that many people still refer to any video call by Apple’s branded moniker. And for a while, things were good.
That was until video calling took a bit of a reputational hit during and after the COVID pandemic, as users (this writer included) got sick of seeing other people through screens and screens only.
In the years since, I’ve eschewed video calls for regular audio-only chats or text messaging, but in 2026 I’m willing – keen even – to give video calls another chance.
Video calling is one of the predictions of 20th-century sci-fi that actually came true – the futurist in me feels like I owe it to myself to embrace it, and it should make connecting with my friends and family even easier.
Do you have any tech resolutions for 2026? Let me know in the comments below. And if you’re looking to give someone the perfect new phone this Christmas, check out my seven top smartphone picks for every type of person.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
